South Africa hosts G20 as tensions with U.S. flare amid boycott

"The world's biggest economy will be conspicuously absent from a meeting of the globe's 20 richest nations this weekend, as the U.S. boycotts the G20 Leaders' Summit hosted by South Africa. The Trump administration is snubbing the event over false race-based claims and what it considers the summit's DEI diversity, equity and inclusion -- agenda. Since returning to office Trump has accused the South African government of confiscating white-owned land and allowing the killing of white Afrikaners."

"You know we have a G20 meeting in South Africa, South Africa shouldn't even be in the Gs anymore, because what happened there is bad," Trump said earlier this month. The government here has repeatedly tried to correct the U.S. administration, to no avail. Ramaphosa has kept his cool and was taciturn this week, saying: "Their absence is their loss." Still, it's a huge blow to South Africa on the global stage. President Javier Milei of Argentina announced he isn't coming in solidarity with Trump."

"Then there's Russian President Vladimir Putin who can't come as he'd face arrest under an International Criminal Court warrant over the war in Ukraine. William Gumede, an associate professor at Johannesburg's Witwatersrand University, says the summit controversy is a sign of the times. "It is symbolic of the fractured global moment that we are in it's almost an alternative summit without China and without America," Gumede told NPR."

The United States is boycotting the G20 Leaders' Summit hosted in South Africa, citing false race-based claims and objection to a perceived DEI and climate agenda. Since returning to office, Trump accused the South African government of confiscating white-owned land and allowing killings of white Afrikaners. South African officials repeatedly tried to correct the U.S. administration, and President Ramaphosa responded tersely that the U.S. absence is its loss. Argentina's president declined attendance in solidarity with Trump; China’s leader is not travelling and Russia's president cannot attend due to an ICC arrest warrant. Some leaders praise the summit themes.

Read at www.npr.org